Mar 01, 20:00


PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 6:54 PM
     Destiny 2 devs acknowledge broken drops, say enjoy 'em while they last

If you've been grinding for gear in Destiny 2, you might've heard that you can get powerful loot drops from running Deep Stone Crypt. (If not, now you know.) Players have been trying to figure out whether or not that's intended functionality, and Bungie has now confirmed that it's not supposed to be happening. But you've got some time before the drops are fixed, and the devs are encouraging you to enjoy them while they last.

"As many of you have already noticed, there are still powerful rewards dropping from Deep Stone Crypt," community manager Chris 'Cozmo' Shannon says on Twitter. "This was not intended but will not be fixed until sometime after the World First race. You can take advantage of this extra source for powerful drops in the meantime."

According to player reports, Deep Stone Crypt is currently offering +3 powerful drops up to the boss, then +5 drops at the boss.

RELATED LINKS: Destiny 2: Beyond Light review, Destiny 2 exotics, Play Destiny 2

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 6:43 PM
     Assassin's Creed Valhalla patch adds 7.5GB of performance improvements

The next major DLC for Assassin's Creed Valhalla is still a week away, but the devs have at least one more title update ready for you in the meantime. It adds… are you ready for this? It's a doozy. An update for the ages. One that players will remember for years to come. One whose introduction I am padding out for comedic effect. This patch will "improve stability and game performance".

Assassin's Creed Valhalla title update 1.5.0.1 is already live on PS5, and hits PC and the remaining consoles on Wednesday, March 2 at 4am PST / 7am EST / 12pm GMT. The PC download will be a chunky 7.5GB, though console patches are quite a bit smaller, ranging from .5GB to 2.9GB

You can get full details over on the official site, but seriously, the promise to "improve stability and game performance" marks the full extent of these patch notes. Hopefully those improvements will be substantial ones, but this is likely a bit of a house-cleaning before the launch of Dawn of Ragnarok.

RELATED LINKS: Assassin's Creed Valhalla review, How long is Assassin's Creed Valhalla?, Buy Assassin's Creed Valhalla

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 5:07 PM
     You don't need a Steam Deck to play Valve's free Steam Deck game

Valve has released a game console, so I guess it's only right that the company releases a videogame to go along with it. Aperture Desk Job was announced last week alongside the Steam Deck release date, and today you can play it for yourself. It's free, too, so if you've got any love for the lore and comedy of the Portal setting, you need to take a look.

While Aperture Desk Job is intended as an introduction to the Steam Deck's features, you don't actually need the machine to play it for yourself - just a controller will do. There are bits that would make use of features like the microphone, touch screen, or gyro controls, but there are some clever concessions if you're working with a standard controller.

Aperture Desk Lab is about 30 minutes long - a bit more substantial than Valve's previous Aperture Hand Lab demo, but still far from a full game. It is, however, the deepest dive we've had into Aperture Science in years, and Valve's sense of dialogue and comedic timing is still some of the best in the business.


PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 4:27 PM
     Europa Universalis 4's subscription plan is moving to Steam

The subscription plan for Europa Universalis IV's burgeoning DLC catalogue is moving. From now on, you'll subscribe to the expansion pass through Steam, rather than through the grand strategy game's menus, and current subscribers will have to switch over once their current subscriptions expire.

When the Europa Universalis IV expansion subscription launched alongside the Nakama update last October, players would have to launch Europa Universalis IV to access the subscription, which would then automatically renew every month. Now the expansion subscription is being offered as a separate entitlement on Steam.

Paradox says all existing subscriptions started prior to March 1 will automatically expire rather than renew, and players will have to restart their subscriptions manually in Steam in order to access the expansion content again, unless they've purchased individual DLCs separately. However, the developer warns players that Steam can't tell whether they have an active pre-existing subscription, and advise players to wait until their current subscriptions run out before starting the new one through Steam, on the Europa Universalis IV store page.

RELATED LINKS: Europa Universalis IV DLC guide, The best Europa Universalis 4 mods, Play Europa Universalis 4

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 3:11 PM
     The Xbox PC app now lets you install games anywhere you want

If you're one of the millions of PC Game Pass subscribers, or if you just like using the Xbox app on Windows, there's a welcome new feature in the official Xbox app: now you can install games wherever you want on your PC, and you're free to browse your games' files, too.

In the past, the Xbox app on Windows has restricted users to installing games to a WindowsApps or XboxGames folder, which was originally inaccessible without changing permissions on your operating system. While that offered an additional layer of security, it made modding games difficult - if not impossible - and it frequently made managing multiple games a pain.

The latest version of the Xbox app lets you pick where you want to install your games. You can create a folder on any of your storage devices, and browse through game files once they're installed, just like you can on Steam. One of the major benefits of this is that you'll now be able to easily backup and restore any game files you might want, such as saves.

RELATED LINKS: Microsoft DirectX Raytracing, Microsoft Hololens hands-on, Windows Game Mode preview

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 2:42 PM
     Halo Infinite weekly challenge and reward

Want to know how to complete the Halo Infinite weekly challenges? Every week you can unlock a free cosmetic for your Spartan. To get this new look, you have to complete a list of challenges, and play a lot of matches. These challenges also give you experience points you use to level up the Halo Infinite battle pass.

Challenges can be found in the battle pass menu and it lists the current active challenges and upcoming challenges. Each challenge is colour-coded by difficulty, so bright grey challenges are the easiest, the bluish-grey challenges are of medium difficulty, and the bright blue ones are the most challenging. One of the upcoming challenges will take its place when you complete a challenge, though which challenge it is, is random.

Once you've completed each challenge, you're given one more challenge before you can claim your weekly reward. This challenge is the same for everyone. In this guide, we'll give you tips on how to complete the Halo Infinite weekly challenges in your queue, explain what the weekly ultimate challenge is, and what the weekly ultimate challenge reward is for this week.

RELATED LINKS: Halo Infinite release date, Halo Infinite system requirements, Halo Infinite ranks

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 2:59 PM
     Some Steam Deck users are reportedly suffering from stick drift

A controller can pack many buttons, be as comfortable humanly possible, and look stylish to boot, but it's all for naught if it suffers from dreaded stick drift. Despite Valve assuring customers that it's doing everything it can to avoid thumbsticks wandering without the input of their user, some Steam Deck owners are reportedly experiencing stick drift just days after launch.

At least three posts have landed on Reddit, all showcasing the right analogue stick's input moving with a mind of its own. Stijnnl's cursor drifts downwards in Civilization 6, and while Hollandje uses the Steam Deck's own controller input test to visualise the problem, they confirm it also affected their gameplay after "light use". Specifically, Hollandje tells me it only interferes when the "right joystick is set to mouse input in games like Worms Revolution,'' and not necessarily when using the default controller settings.

Currently, Valve doesn't make it easy to calibrate your Steam Deck controller in handheld mode, but the Reddit users found a fix by heading into desktop mode and using Big Picture in Steam's desktop app.

RELATED LINKS: Best SSD for gaming, How to build a gaming PC, Best gaming CPU

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 2:03 PM
     Ubisoft offers housing and salary advances to Ukrainian employees

Ubisoft has dozens of studios all over the world, including two offices in Ukraine. Today, the French publisher has shared an update on how it's been supporting the developers in those offices following Russia's ongoing invasion of the country. As employees seek shelter, Ubisoft is paying salaries in advance, providing additional money to cover "exceptional costs", and setting up alternate housing in nearby countries.

"As events escalated in mid-February, Ubisoft recommended all teams take shelter in a place they considered safe," the company says in a blog post. "To support them as they made these difficult decisions, each team member was provided additional funds to help cover exceptional costs and paid their salary in advance to account for any potential disruption to banking systems."

Ubisoft adds that "we have set up alternative housing in neighbouring countries where our colleagues and their families can take shelter if they wish and are able to do so." Additionally, the company has donated €200,000 to relief efforts spread across Save the Children and the Ukrainian Red Cross.

RELATED LINKS: Assassin's Creed Valhalla review, How long is Assassin's Creed Valhalla?, Buy Assassin's Creed Valhalla

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 1:47 PM
     Genshin Impact goes Super Mario Maker this week

Genshin Impact is getting a new event this week that's all about charging through player-created obstacle courses while you collect coins and avoid traps. Basically, you're getting the chance to trip your friends up in challenging assault courses like you would in Super Mario Maker.

Divine Ingenuity is the name of the event, though you'll need to complete some tasks before you can create your own tracks. Once the A New Star Approaches quest is completed, you'll need to beat five preset levels. Once that's done, you can tackle the Divine Ingenuity world quest to gain access to Custom Domains.

Alongside various bits of terrain, you can fill each course with fragile platforms, wind currents, and flooring that'll appear and disappear. There are also certain traps that will either reduce a runner's health or give them a status debuff if they get caught in them. Not everything is out to get you, though, as there are blessings, too. The Leaping Boon gives you a jump buff, whereas the Striding Boon boosts speed for a short period.

RELATED LINKS: Play Genshin Impact for free, Genshin Impact character tier list, Genshin Impact leveling guide

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 1:14 PM
     GabeN delivers Steam Deck to an FFXIV fan, reveals his class

Valve boss Gabe Newell is now an FFXIV player, and as you might expect he's quite excited about the arrival of the Steam Deck release date. So excited that he went out and hand-delivered the first few Steam Decks to players who happen to live near Valve's office in Bellevue, Washington. Naturally, GabeN made time to talk about the critically-acclaimed MMORPG while he was out.

The full video below is an absolute delight. There are Valve fans who are over the moon to meet GabeN, folks who don't have a clue who he is, and a whole lot of awkward shuffling as people decide to react to a company president hand-delivering a hot new bit of gaming tech. He even appears to hand out a few free Steam Decks to curious onlookers.

At one point, GabeN asks someone "What do you play in Final Fantasy?" The Steam Deck recipient in question responds that he's a Dragoon main, with a backup in Paladin when queues get bad. (Smart plan.) Gaben responds that "I'm trying to level up my White Mage right now."

RELATED LINKS: The best MMOs on PC, FFXIV Reaper job guide, FFXIV Sage job guide

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 1:10 PM
     The best Marvel game on PC is coming to Game Pass

One of the best superhero games on PC is coming to Microsoft's Game Pass less than five months after it released - Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy will hit the subscription service next week. However, anyone wanting to play Nier: Automata will have to do so quickly, as that's leaving Game Pass a week later.

Microsoft has now revealed the list of games coming and going from Game Pass in the first half of this month, and while all the names are welcome there is one obvious standout. Guardians of the Galaxy is a great spacefaring action-adventure game and probably the best Marvel Comics game on PC - in the absence of Insomniac's Spider-Man games - and it'll be added to Games Pass on March 10.

Available today is indie game FAR: Changing Tides, the sequel to 2018's sailing adventure FAR: Lone Sails, and the Cloud version of Microsoft Flight Simulator. Later this week, subscribers will get Final Fantasy XIII sequel Lightning Returns, and joining Guardians of the Galaxy next week is the fantastic adventure game Kentucky Route Zero.

RELATED LINKS: Guardians of the Galaxy review, Upcoming PC Games, The best adventure games on PC

Twinfinite Tuesday, March 1, 2022 7:56 PM
    

Watch out for the voodoo powers of Calypso!

The post Ariana DeBose Joins Kraven the Hunter Movie as Calypso appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Tuesday, March 1, 2022 4:30 PM
    

Rocket Panda Games released a new trailer of the upcoming 2D fighting game Phantom Breaker: Omnia introducing another of the playable characters.

The post Phantom Breaker: Omnia Gets New Gameplay Trailer Introducing Fin appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Tuesday, March 1, 2022 3:45 PM
    

Today both Microsoft and third-party developers had relevant news to share about Microsoft Flight Simulator and its addons. First of all, the simulator is now available via xCloud on Xbox One, mobile phones, and PC. This means that you can access the full sim basically anywhere. The only caveat is that add-ons that aren't purchased […]

The post Microsoft Flight Simulator Now Available Via Cloud; Beechcraft 17 Released; Mad Dog, Cessna 414A & More Gets Screenshots, Details, & Video appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Tuesday, March 1, 2022 2:54 PM
    

The long-anticipated wait for the first expansion pack for Back 4 Blood is almost over, as Turtle Rock Studios revealed that Tunnel of Terror will be coming to Fort Hope on April 12th, 2022. The new DLC is set to add new PvE activities, Cleaners, exclusive skins, and a handful of weapons. You can check […]

The post Back 4 Blood Tunnels of Terror DLC Coming in April; Milestone of 10 Million Players Also Revealed appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Tuesday, March 1, 2022 2:32 PM
    

Today, Bethesda Softworks revealed a brand new prelude for their upcoming supernatural action title, Ghostwire: Tokyo. This visual novel follows KK, the spirit that assists Akito throughout the game, and his gang of supernatural detectives. You can check out the official description for the Ghostwire: Tokyo Prelude Visual Novel and its trailer below: Experience the […]

The post Ghostwire: Tokyo Prelude Visual Novel About KK Available Now for Free appeared first on Twinfinite.


Siliconera Tuesday, March 1, 2022 6:30 PM
    

tales of chain chronicle

More information on the Tales of series collaboration appeared during the Chain Chronicle livestream. While we knew that Reid would appear when news of the crossover event first came out in February 2022, we now know all seven characters who will appear when the event runs from March 3-17, 2022. [Thanks, Gamer!]

In total, the seven Tales of characters who will appear in the Chain Chronicle collaboration event are:

  • Asbel Lhant (Tales of Graces) - Takahiro Sakurai
  • Estelle (Tales of Vesperia) - Mai Nakahara
  • Luke fon Fabre (Tales of the Abyss) - Chihiro Suzuki
  • Reid Herschel (Tales of Eternia) - Akira Ishida
  • Sophie (Tales of Graces) - Kana Hanazawa
  • Tear Grants (Tales of the Abyss) - Yukana
  • Yuri Lowell (Tales of Vesperia) - Kousuke Toriumi

[gallery columns="7" ids="918473,918472,918471,918470,918469,918468,918467" link="file"]

If you set a collaboration character as the leader of your party, the battle music will change to one from the game they originally appeared in. In addition, you can create collaboration weapons during the event. Of all seven people, only Reid is free. You can obtain him via multiple methods, such as through exploring or as a campaign award.

The event will also be split in two sections, with three characters becoming available each time. Yuri, Tear, and Sophie will appear in-game starting on March 3, 2022. Meanwhile, Estelle, Luke, and Asbel will show up from March 6, 2022.

Chain Chronicle is available for mobile devices in Japan, and the Tales of crossover will run between March 3-17, 2022.

The post Seven Tales of Characters Will Appear in Chain Chronicle appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, March 1, 2022 5:30 PM
    

ghostwire tokyo prelude

Ahead of the March 25, 2022 release date of Ghostwire: Tokyo, Tango Gameworks and Bethesda released a free visual novel prologue to the game. Ghostwire: Tokyo - Prelude: The Corrupted Casefile will come to the PS4, PS5 and PC. However, it won't be available on Windows PCs until March 8, 2022.

https://twitter.com/playghostwire/status/1498727806787854342

As a visual novel, you will choose dialogue options in order to better know the characters on your team and alter the story. The actual Ghostwire: Tokyo game follows Akito in an empty Tokyo after its citizens mysteriously vanish. In its place, spirits called Visitors appeared and Akito needs to defeat them with his psychic abilities. Prelude will show the events that happen prior to the start of the main game. It is unclear how much insight playing Prelude will offer into the full story.

While Ghostwire: Tokyo - Prelude does not seem to feature any dogs, according to its short trailer on Twitter, the final product will allow you to pet and follow dogs. As well, Ghostwire: Tokyo will be a first-person action game, rather than a visual novel.

Ghostwire: Tokyo - Prelude is readily available on the PS4 and PS5 and will appear on Windows PCs on March 8, 2022. Ghostwire: Tokyo will come out on the PS5 and Windows PC on March 25, 2022. Those who have the Deluxe Edition can start playing on March 22, 2022.

The post Free Ghostwire Tokyo Prelude Visual Novel Available appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, March 1, 2022 2:30 PM
    

Omori Switch and PS4 Physical Copy Pre-orders Open

When Omori comes to the Nintendo Switch and PS4, a person buying it will be able to decide between a digital or physical copy. Both Omocat and Fangamer opened up pre-orders for retail copies. It will be $34.99.

Alongside the reveal offers another potential hint at a release date. When the first console version of Omori was confirmed for the Switch back in December 2021, it was given a Spring 2022 release window. The product listings for these physical copies say the retail copies will ship in June 2022. The official Omocat one doesn't offer any exact dates. However, Fangamer's listing said that it will ship by June 17, 2022.

There's also a trailer that appeared alongside the Omori physical copy announcement that shows off some of its characters. The end of the video offers a look at the game's box art.

Omori is Omocat's turn-based RPG. It was first announced back in 2015, with the PC and 3DS as its initial planned platforms. On December 25, 2020, the PC version finally appeared.

Omori will come to the Nintendo Switch and PS4 in Spring 2022, and the physical copies will appear in June 2022.

The post Omori Switch and PS4 Physical Copy Pre-orders Open appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, March 1, 2022 2:00 PM
    

Hiiro Vtuber Nendoroid Will Be Out in 2022

Another Vtuber is getting a Good Smile Company figure. This time it is a Hiiro Vtuber Nendoroid from Good Smile Company Shanghai. She's expected to come to Japan in October 2022. Her North American debut is tentatively set for December 2022. (However, shipping delays could push that back.) She will cost $68.99/¥6,800.

Hiiro Vtuber is a Chinese Vtuber. She streams on BiliBili. She is a cat girl. As you might expect, this means that her Nendoroid features a number of accessories referencing cats. Her face plates show her smiling, drooling over food, and looking smug. In addition to her phone, you can pose her holding a carton of milk or lusting over a piece of salmon. There is also an additional sheet making it look like she's streaming.

Here's a full look at how the Nendoroid will look. All of her accessories and face plates are shown. There are also examples of some of her possible poses.
[gallery columns="7" ids="918444,918445,918446,918447,918448,918449,918450" link="file"]

While the Hololive Vtuber Nendoroids are most prevalent, Good Smile Company does create figures of other performers. For example, there is also a Kagura Nana one on the way as well.

The Hiiro Vtuber Nendoroid will come to Japan in October 2022 and North America in December 2022. Pre-orders are open until March 30, 2022.

The post Hiiro Vtuber Nendoroid Will Be Out in 2022 appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, March 1, 2022 1:30 PM
    

Seven Pirates H English Footage Shared

The next Genkai Tokki game is about to appear outside Japan. To prepare people, Eastasiasoft showed how the English version of Seven Pirates H. It was the first game to show up at the Spring 2022 Eastasiasoft Showcase. While brief, it offered an idea of what people can expect.

Seven Pirates H's English version kicked everything off. So right away in the video below, it appears. It begins with bullet points about what to expect. First, it showed off the turn-based battle system. After that, it shows what it is like to move around different areas and explore. There's also a brief bit of exposition, in which Saqra talks about the villainous Four Heavenly Kings players will have to face. The portion after that shows how characters' chests develop by playing minigames. (As such, this early portion of the video might be not safe to view at work or school.)

Genkai Tokki: Seven Pirates H will appear worldwide in English in Spring 2022. Play-Asia will carry standard and limited edition copies. The limited edition versions come with a soundtrack, art book, and stickers. Its website is now open, and it is age-gated. The game is immediately available in Japan.

The post Seven Pirates H English Footage Shared appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, March 1, 2022 1:00 PM
    

Matt Walker Leaves Capcom to Join Camouflaj

Matt Walker is no longer with Capcom, as Camouflaj announced he joined the developer's new Japanese studio. He is now one of the two people running Camouflaj Holdings. He and the company's founder Ryan Payton are in charge at the new branch. The announcement didn't include any details about potential projects in development at the studio.

In his time at Capcom, Matt Walker worked on a number of longstanding series. For example, he worked as a producer on both the Devil May Cry 3 Switch port and Devil May Cry 5. He also produced Resident Evil 3's Resident Evil: Resistance multiplayer element. He also acted as a production manager on games like Resident Evil Revelations 2.

Alongside the announcement is the news of another Republique update. The Anniversary Edition of the game will come to the PS4 and PSVR. There's a new trailer showing how it will look on the systems.

So far, Camouflaj is known for two games. One is Republique. It started out on mobile devices, before getting new versions and ports that also brought it to the PS4, PC, Google Stadia, and Oculus devices. The Republique Anniversary Edition releases will come to the PS4 and PSVR on March 10, 2022. Its other title is Marvel's Iron Man VR For the PSVR.

The post Matt Walker Leaves Capcom to Join Camouflaj appeared first on Siliconera.


Destructoid Tuesday, March 1, 2022 6:30 PM
    

Come watch the show live or listen on-demand Destructoid is excited to announce our first dedicated Nintendo podcast — Spot...

The post Introducing Spot Dodge: A Live Nintendo Podcast appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, March 1, 2022 6:00 PM
    

The Streets of Rage composer will lend his talents to Yacht Club's next project Yacht Club Games recently announced Mina the Hollower, their...

The post Mina the Hollower will feature guest tracks from composer Yuzo Koshiro appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, March 1, 2022 5:15 PM
    

PlayStation owners can start their paranormal investigation today The story of Ghostwire: Tokyo is kicking off a little sooner than expected, with...

The post Ghostwire: Tokyo gets a free prequel visual novel appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, March 1, 2022 4:30 PM
    

Long Live The Queen The Queen TV-Game 2 starts with the distorted voice of a wistful woman. "I remember when...

The post Say goodbye to the 3DS eShop with this two-cent console exclusive appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, March 1, 2022 3:30 PM
    

Ghost of Tsushima: Legends is considered a bonus PlayStation Plus is giving out four free-with-your-sub games in March, and this...

The post PlayStation Plus has four games for March, including Ghostrunner appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, March 1, 2022 3:00 PM
    

Back to the Future Last week saw the release of River City Girls Zero for Nintendo Switch, WayForward's port of...

The post Here's how River City Girls Zero was recreated for modern platforms appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, March 1, 2022 3:00 PM
    

Sony steps it up for subscription service It is a brand new month, and that means a refresh for Sony's...

The post Today's PlayStation Now offerings include Shadow Warrior 3 appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, March 1, 2022 2:30 PM
    

The acclaimed indie RPG is getting a boxed copy for its console versions Omori is making the leap from PC to...

The post Omori is getting a physical release for Switch and PS4 appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, March 1, 2022 2:00 PM
    

25 years of dread-burning adventure This year sees the 25th anniversary of one of the most successful, stylish, and loved...

The post Persona 25 FES exhibition to celebrate JRPG series' anniversary appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, March 1, 2022 1:30 PM
    

My Nintendo weekly missions can grant you 220 platinum per week now Out of nowhere, Nintendo introduced My Nintendo weekly...

The post My Nintendo just added new weekly missions for platinum points appeared first on Destructoid.


PC Invasion - FeedDDD Tuesday, March 1, 2022 7:30 PM
     Europa Universalis IV expansion subscription mapIf you have an affinity toward strategy games, then Europa Universalis IV may interest you if you haven't tried it already. But those invested in the game enough to purchase DLC found it rather expansive all things considered. Publisher Paradox Interactive recognized this issue, allowing Steam players to try out a Europa Universalis IV DLC subscription service in March last year. You had to purchase it through the game back then, but now you have to do it directly through Steam. Released back in 2013, Europa Universalis IV earned quite a bit of praise from both fans and critics. Naturally, it received a significant amount of DLC packs and expansions over the years. Unfortunately, until last year, this meant that delving into the full experience required a bit of an investment — to put it lightly. Although the base game only costs $39.99 USD, combining the prices of all the DLC leads to a total price of $402.68 USD on Steam. The discounted prices on the bundles often do l...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Tuesday, March 1, 2022 6:30 PM
     Aperture Desk Job Free 1You know how everyone is always complaining about Valve not releasing new games? Well, the company has launched a brand new game today. And it's free! And it's also only about half an hour long. Not all things in this world can be good. Aperture Desk Job is billed as a playable short made specifically for the Steam Deck, and, again, it's totally free. But it can be played on a PC, too. That being said, the game does require you to use a controller, so you won't be able to partake if you're just running with the ol' mouse and keyboard. Aperture Desk Job already has around 1,200 reviews and is sitting at an Overwhelmingly Positive rating, with 97% of the reviews giving the game a thumbs up. The game has a roughly 4 GB install after an initial 3 GB download, so it won't exactly fill up your storage space either. The game seats you at a desk where a small robot named Grady (who is of a similar model to Wheatley). Your job is to test out toilets ...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Tuesday, March 1, 2022 5:30 PM
     Gta the trilogy update graphical fixes rainGTA: The Trilogy cursed us with its bug-ridden mass months ago, receiving a few updates before they dried up in short order. But finally, the game received a new update today with a huge number of improvements and fixes across all three titles in the collection. Realistically, this probably won't put much of a dent in the laundry list of issues people have with it. But I'm glad to see the game hasn't been abandoned. Still, it's rather curious that such a high-profile slip-up would go this long without getting more updates in the nearly three-month gap between patches. Probably the largest of the fixes on offer here is the fact that performance across the board has improved. The patch notes say that performance on all platforms has been increased, alongside fixes to stability, problems with retrying missions from checkpoints, collision issues, and problems with signs and textures. It's hard to say just how much the performance will increase, but hopefull...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Tuesday, March 1, 2022 5:00 PM
     Back 4 Blood Tunnels Of Terror Expansion Skins CleanersBack 4 Blood is getting its first expansion, and soon, with Tunnels of Terror. It'll be live on April 12, bringing all new, well, everything. Two more Cleaners are joining the team in order to fight three new "Warped Ridden" enemies. You'll have access to a new PvE activity, as well as a plethora of skins for cleaners and weapons. It looks like a big update, all in all. The two new Cleaners, or characters, coming with the Back 4 Blood Tunnels of Terror expansion look ready to axe you something. And by that, I mean they're brandishing axes in the expansion art. The first new character is Sharice, described as a firefighter with an ax to grind. Heng is the second and is a "tough as nails, no-nonsense restauranteur" who looks like the Ridden interrupted his fishing trip.   The expansion also brings new Ridden and related activities. These "Warped Ridden" look like they're sprouting quills, like from a porcupine. Their nam...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Tuesday, March 1, 2022 4:00 PM
     Gabe Newell Steam Deck deliveryThe long-awaited Steam Deck finally arrived last month, and Valve obviously wants to make its continued launch as successful as possible. Effective PR moves are one way to greatly increase a products chance of success, and it seems that Valve already got the memo. According to a Reddit post from a few days ago, Valve CEO Gabe Newell personally showed up at the Redditor's front door and hand delivered the Steam Deck he ordered to his wife. He posted a screenshot of Newell approaching his front door as proof and showed images of his new Steam Deck, complete with Newell's signature. Just yesterday, Valve essentially confirmed the Reddit post by uploading a video of Newell delivering the first Steam Decks to several houses in Seattle.   A series of surprise visits Newell received quite a few different reactions when approaching houses with his camera crew. Some recognized him immediately and were shocked to see him, while others simply received the package and thanked h...

Tabletop Gaming News Tuesday, March 1, 2022 6:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Tuesday, March 1, 2022 5:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Tuesday, March 1, 2022 4:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Tuesday, March 1, 2022 3:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Tuesday, March 1, 2022 2:00 PM
    

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Tuesday, March 1, 2022 5:26 PM
    

The linuep of games coming to Xbox Game Pass in the first part of March has been announced, with Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy as the biggest arrival to the service this month so far. This is a perfect time to catch up on the game if you missed it when it was released back […]

The post Guardians of the Galaxy Comes to Xbox Game Pass appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Tuesday, March 1, 2022 4:48 PM
    

Someone swipes the domain of the beloved horror franchise.

The post Konami Loses Silent Hill Domain appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Tuesday, March 1, 2022 3:47 PM
    

Steam Deck 2 will be even more powerful.

The post Valve Already Planning Steam Deck 2 appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Tuesday, March 1, 2022 3:07 PM
    

Play these games on the go while you wait for your bus or car ride home

The post The Best Casual Mobile Games for On The Go! appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.

Mar 01, 14:00


GamersHeroes Tuesday, March 1, 2022 10:48 AM
    

Amazon today announced that the highly anticipated Luna, a cloud gaming service, is now live and available for all customers in the mainland United States. Luna boasts an extended library of games and launches alongside a flurry of new features with support available on PC, Mac, Fire TV, Fire Tablets, iOS, Android, and Chromebook.

The post Amazon's Cloud Gaming Service Launches In US appeared first on GamersHeroes.


GamersHeroes Tuesday, March 1, 2022 10:07 AM
    

After an incredibly strong February (we're still reeling), March looks to continue the trend with a number of hotly anticipated releases. On that note, here are the 5 best games of March 2022. Oh, and we won't make you click through five pages to look at the entire list.

The post 5 Best Games of March 2022 appeared first on GamersHeroes.


PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 1:47 PM
     Genshin Impact goes Super Mario Maker this week

Genshin Impact is getting a new event this week that's all about charging through player-created obstacle courses while you collect coins and avoid traps. Basically, you're getting the chance to trip your friends up in challenging assault courses like you would in Super Mario Maker.

Divine Ingenuity is the name of the event, though you'll need to complete some tasks before you can create your own tracks. Once the A New Star Approaches quest is completed, you'll need to beat five preset levels. Once that's done, you can tackle the Divine Ingenuity world quest to gain access to Custom Domains.

Alongside various bits of terrain, you can fill each course with fragile platforms, wind currents, and flooring that'll appear and disappear. There are also certain traps that will either reduce a runner's health or give them a status debuff if they get caught in them. Not everything is out to get you, though, as there are blessings, too. The Leaping Boon gives you a jump buff, whereas the Striding Boon boosts speed for a short period.

RELATED LINKS: Play Genshin Impact for free, Genshin Impact character tier list, Genshin Impact leveling guide

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 1:17 PM
     Some Steam Decks reportedly suffer from stick drift

A controller can pack many buttons, be as comfortable humanly possible, and look stylish to boot, but it's all for naught if it suffers from dreaded stick drift. Despite Valve assuring customers that it's doing everything it can to avoid thumbsticks wandering without the input of their user, some Steam Deck owners are reportedly experiencing stick drift just days after launch.

At least three posts have landed on Reddit, all showcasing the right analogue stick's input moving with a mind of its own. Stijnnl's cursor drifts downwards in Civilization 6, and while Hollandje uses the Steam Deck's own controller input test to visualise the problem, they confirm it also affected their gameplay after "light use". Specifically, Hollandje tells me it only interferes when the "right joystick is set to mouse input in games like Worms Revolution,'' and not necessarily when using the default controller settings.

Currently, Valve doesn't make it easy to calibrate your Steam Deck controller in handheld mode, but the Reddit users found a fix by heading into desktop mode and using Big Picture in Steam's desktop app.

RELATED LINKS: Best SSD for gaming, How to build a gaming PC, Best gaming CPU

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 1:14 PM
     GabeN delivers Steam Deck to an FFXIV fan, reveals his class

Valve boss Gabe Newell is now an FFXIV player, and as you might expect he's quite excited about the arrival of the Steam Deck release date. So excited that he went out and hand-delivered the first few Steam Decks to players who happen to live near Valve's office in Bellevue, Washington. Naturally, GabeN made time to talk about the critically-acclaimed MMORPG while he was out.

The full video below is an absolute delight. There are Valve fans who are over the moon to meet GabeN, folks who don't have a clue who he is, and a whole lot of awkward shuffling as people decide to react to a company president hand-delivering a hot new bit of gaming tech. He even appears to hand out a few free Steam Decks to curious onlookers.

At one point, GabeN asks someone "What do you play in Final Fantasy?" The Steam Deck recipient in question responds that he's a Dragoon main, with a backup in Paladin when queues get bad. (Smart plan.) Gaben responds that "I'm trying to level up my White Mage right now."

RELATED LINKS: The best MMOs on PC, FFXIV Reaper job guide, FFXIV Sage job guide

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 12:48 PM
     Crusader Kings 3 gets a patch for weird-looking eyes

There's a hotfix available now for Crusader Kings III that addresses an important issue with the medieval grand strategy game: eyeballs. More specifically, the patch makes the areas around characters' eyes look more natural and human, but there's more going on under the hood than meets, well, the eye.

Paradox says that in addition to improving the cosmetic appearance of characters' eyes, it's also reworked the DNA of various historical characters in order to address some problems the game had rendering their eyes, as well as those of their children. The result is subtle, but quite nice: characters' eyes appear much warmer now - more at home in their faces, if you will. You can see the new look on King Rurik 'Troublemaker' of Garðaríki in the image above.

Improved eyeballs and eyeball DNA aren't the only improvements in the latest Crusader Kings hotfix, however. Version 1.5.0.2 also adds some missing localisation for Spanish, Korean, and Russian languages, and removes some debug text that had been appearing in the game.

RELATED LINKS: Crusader Kings 3 review, The best Crusader Kings 3 mods, Play Crusader Kings 3

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 12:35 PM
     Elden Ring Smithing Stones upgrade guide and stone locations

Searching for Elden Ring smithing stones to upgrade your armaments? At the beginning of your adventure, the easiest way to improve your damage output without leveling up is to upgrade your weapons. The majority of weapons and shields can be upgraded to +25, allowing you to hold on to your favourite items over the course of the RPG game.

To upgrade your Elden Ring weapons you need plenty of Smithing Stones, a rare upgrade material which can be difficult to find in the early game. If you're using a unique weapon, you need to find Somber Smithing Stones which are just as difficult to acquire. Fortunately, once you manage to defeat some of the main Elden Ring bosses, there are plenty of areas which have an abundance of these rare upgrade materials.

By upgrading your armaments and combining them with specific Ashes of War, can drastically alter your weapons' stats to allow you to breeze through the game. Here's everything you need to upgrade your armaments in Elden Ring, including which blacksmiths to use, the best smithing stones locations, and more.

RELATED LINKS: Elden Ring system requirements, Elden Ring has the best demo, Elden Ring's four pre-order editions

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 12:22 PM
     Play the latest Sea of Thieves chapter for just $1 with PC Game Pass

It's weird to think that Sea of Thieves is now into its fifth year. Since 2017, Rare has given players countless unforgettable experiences, and it's adding new content all the time. The latest addition, The Shrouded Islands, is only available for a couple more days, but don't worry - PC Game Pass gives you full access to the game for just $1.

Over the years, Rare has added several new story components to the game (famously including a Pirates of the Caribbean crossover), but The Shrouded Islands is definitely, in my opinion, the most enjoyable. One of the game's outposts (a safe area normally filled with NPCs) has become shrouded in a thick mist and all the characters there have disappeared. You have to head out and investigate.

What follows is a thrilling adventure that perfectly captures that old timey, supernatural pirate aura perfectly. It's genuinely creepy at times and the tingling sense of uncovering a dark mystery runs through the whole thing. I've been playing the game since the start and this makes me genuinely excited to see what they're going to do next.

RELATED LINKS: Sea of Thieves tips, Sea of Thieves quests, guilds, and raids, Sea of Thieves endgame

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 12:20 PM
     Fortnite is adding Assassin's Creed's best protagonist

With the arrival of the latest Fortnite update comes news of a surprise collaboration. While we expect to see another Marvel Comics hero, Ezio Auditore from Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series is making the leap over to Epic's battle royale game - perhaps even as soon as today.

Fortnite 19.40 is the last update before the multiplayer game's latest season closes and has been confirmed as Spider-Man-related - complete with a new series of Marvel quests and supposedly at least one more Spider-Man skin being added. However, the update's files have now been decrypted, and a new videogame collaboration has also been revealed, the next after Sony's Uncharted.

Leakers have discovered a skin design for Assassin's Creed protagonist Ezio Auditore, who remains the face of the series - despite it being over ten years since his last starring role in Assassin's Creed Revelations. The decrypted files show Ezio with his hood on and off, as well as his hidden blades - that will probably serve as his Pickaxe - and an "Assassin's Strike" emote.

RELATED LINKS: Fortnite V-Bucks, Fortnite Skins, Fortnite Creative Codes

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 12:17 PM
     Why you need to play ELEX II

ELEX II is the long-awaited follow-up to the first game in the series which achieved something of a cult following upon release.

This second instalment comes from Piranha Bites, the award-winning creators of the Gothic and Risen series, and functions as a great introduction to the world of Magalan as well as a continuation of Jax's story. This sprawling sci-fi fantasy game promises over 300 quests and a colossal map that can be explored in any way you see fit, forging your own path to the planet's salvation - think Skyrim in space.

The plot follows on from the first game, but ELEX II functions well as a standalone story. Jax, the player character, has lost his son Dex and must track him down and ensure his safety. No big deal then, but unfortunately his home planet also happens to be under attack from the Skyands – a new alien threat who are using the weaknesses in Magalan diplomacy to threaten its future. Jax must unite each of the warring (and stubborn) factions of his homeland to keep the Skyands at bay.

RELATED LINKS: The best RPG games on PC, The best open world games on PC

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 11:48 AM
     Fortnite: Gather metal at Wreck Ravine, Windbreakers, or Rustaway Shores

Looking for Wreck Ravine, Windbreakers, or Rustaway Shores in Fortnite? For this week's challenge you need to gather 100 metal at any of these locations. Here's where you'll find these landmarks on the map.

Your best bet is to head to Windbreakers as it's rife with metal resources; simply start hacking away at any of the six wind turbines found on the small island and you'll have enough metal to build a sturdy metal bridge to safety. You may have guessed by the name, but Rustaway Shores also has plenty of rusty metal cars to harvest that can be found nestled along the coast. Wreck Ravine has the least amount of metal, but usually has a chest and may not be as competitive (just be mindful of any lurking sharks in the shallow waters).

Here are the locations of Wreck Ravine, Windbreakers, and Rustaway Shores to collect 100 metal in Fortnite. To complete other season challenges before the next season starts in March, here's how to visit Adrift or Pawntoon in a motorboat in Fortnite and how to collect treasure using Drake's map.

RELATED LINKS: Fortnite V-Bucks, Fortnite Skins, Fortnite Creative Codes

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 11:37 AM
     Cantha calling – the story behind Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons

A new Guild Wars 2 expansion is a rare, beautiful thing. The latest, End of Dragons, is just the third expansion for the hit MMORPG in its decade-long history, but it may also be one of its best. As we noted in our End of Dragons review, Cantha is a vibrant and colourful region that's home to bustling and diverse cities, ancient temples, and er… giant weaponised tortoise mounts.

In addition to all the lush new environments you can explore, End of Dragons revamps Guild Wars 2's class system with a fresh batch of elite specialisations, which really let you push the boundaries of traditional MMO archetypes. Forget the holy trinity of tank, DPS, and support - in Cantha you can be a glass-cannon ranger who can leap into battle with a supersized Mjölnir.

In case you haven't been playing Guild Wars 2 since its 2012 release date, we've delved deep into the archives and assembled a crash course to bring you up to date with all the dragon-related goings on in Tyria.

RELATED LINKS: Play Guild Wars 2 for free, Guild Wars 2 expansion, Best MMOs

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 11:04 AM
     Elden Ring bosses guide

Want to know how to beat the Elden Ring bosses? The most defining moments in any of the best Soulslike games are the tough boss fights. They can be tricky for several reasons: some are hard to hit consistently, others can squash you with just one attack. Elden Ring is also an open-world game, so as you'd expect, there are plenty of formidable foes with big health bars waiting to be discovered.

So far, we've managed to find out which bosses are in several regions. Since any region can have up to 19 bosses, keeping track of which ones you've beaten can be tough.

In this guide, you'll find a list of all of the Elden Ring bosses we know of so far, where you can find them, which ones are mandatory, and what items they drop when you beat them. It's worth noting that, generally speaking, as you hunt them down, dungeon bosses are not as hard to kill as the major bosses. However, there are exceptions, so upgrading the Flash of Wondrous Physick with Elden Ring crystal tears can make all the difference.

RELATED LINKS: Elden Ring system requirements, Elden Ring has the best demo, Elden Ring's four pre-order editions

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 12:35 PM
     Rainbow Six Siege new operators

Rainbow Six Siege new operators are great at helping mix up the meta in the popular multiplayer game. Each new season introduces new operators that alter the competitive landscape and introduce exciting new tactics. As of Operation High Calibre, there are currently 62 operators. The recent announcement of the Year 7 roadmap means we're expecting another four over the next 12 months, bringing the total up to 66.

Year 7 Season 1 has now been revealed, and we're eagerly awaiting Operation Demon Veil's release date, along with our first new operator, Azami. She hails from Japan, and while we know little else, we do know the remaining three new operators of the year come from Belgium, Singapore, and Colombia respectively.

Below you'll find a full roundup of everything we know about the new Rainbow Six Siege operators so far, as well as a round up on last year's new additions in case it's been some time since you last logged in and you need a refresher on what's new.

RELATED LINKS: Rainbow Six Siege Year 5 operators, Best Rainbow Six Siege operators, Play Rainbow Six Siege

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 1:10 PM
     The best Marvel game on PC is coming to Game Pass

One of the best superhero games on PC is coming to Microsoft's Game Pass less than five months after it released - Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy will hit the subscription service next week. However, anyone wanting to play Nier: Automata will have to do so quickly, as that's leaving Game Pass a week later.

Microsoft has now revealed the list of games coming and going from Game Pass in the first half of this month, and while all the names are welcome there is one obvious standout. Guardians of the Galaxy is a great spacefaring action-adventure game and probably the best Marvel Comics game on PC - in the absence of Insomniac's Spider-Man games - and it'll be added to Games Pass on March 10.

Available today is indie game FAR: Changing Tides, the sequel to 2018's sailing adventure FAR: Lone Sails, and the Cloud version of Microsoft Flight Simulator. Later this week, subscribers will get Final Fantasy XIII sequel Lightning Returns, and joining Guardians of the Galaxy next week is the fantastic adventure game Kentucky Route Zero.

RELATED LINKS: Guardians of the Galaxy review, Upcoming PC Games, The best adventure games on PC

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 10:47 AM
     WWE 2K22 system requirements ask for Steam's favourite GPU

Good news, wrestling fans: 2K has announced the WWE 2K22 system requirements so you can make sure your gaming PC is ready to rumble. The series isn't known to be too taxing, and fortunately, it doesn't look like this will change after skipping WWE 2K21. In fact, many Steam users are already prepared to get in the ring without the need to upgrade.

WWE 2K22 features a new engine, but rigs built within the past half-decade will fare just fine as the games sets a low barrier to entry. Not only will you get away with ten-year-old CPUs and five-year-old graphics cards, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 that the minimum specs ask for is still the most popular GPU on the Steam hardware survey. Just make sure it's the 6GB version, as 3GB falls slightly short of the ideal amount of VRAM.

Despite the gap year and some enthusiasm on Reddit, there's still no sign that the latest entry will pack modern features like ray tracing, Nvidia Reflex, Nvidia DLSS, or AMD FSR. It's also unclear how WWE 2K22 will perform on Valve's Steam Deck, as it's not yet rated.

RELATED LINKS: Best SSD for gaming, How to build a gaming PC, Best gaming CPU

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 9:53 AM
     Destiny 2: The Witch Queen Legendary campaign tips and rewards

When Destiny 2 players told the Bungie team they wanted more challenging campaign content, Bungie delivered. The Witch Queen introduces a Legendary campaign mode designed to be significantly more difficult than the primary campaign. With stronger enemies that deal more damage as well as a power level cap, it's quite an undertaking for the average player. However, there's more than just glory at stake. Those who successfully complete all missions at the higher difficulty receive special rewards, including a 1520 power set of armour and a Destiny 2 Exotic of their choice.

"The Legendary campaign is designed to be harder than a Legend Nightfall, though it is easier than a solo dungeon or running a Grandmaster Nightfall," Destiny 2 Design Lead Matt McConnell shared in a This Week at Bungie blog post. Even seasoned Destiny 2 players are willing to admit the Legendary campaign packs a punch.

If you're thinking of taking on Destiny 2's The Witch Queen campaign on Legendary difficulty, here's the rundown on what to expect.

RELATED LINKS: Destiny 2: Beyond Light review, Destiny 2 exotics, Play Destiny 2

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 9:42 AM
     Diablo 2: Resurrected's PTR update is back with Ladder testing

The next patch for Diablo II: Resurrected is hitting the Public Test Realm tomorrow, which will bring a Ladder system to the remake of one of the best RPGs on PC - as well as some tweaks to how the monstrous Uber Diablo works.

Diablo II: Resurrected patch 2.4 was revealed in January this year and first hit the PTR on January 25, although Blizzard removed it on February 9. Now the developer has announced in the latest Diablo II blog that it will bring the pre-release patch back to the test server with some new changes, including the first testing of Ladder functionality.

Following feedback from the previous test, Blizzard says that it is now focusing "on the areas where the feedback was overwhelmingly unified, as well as some areas where we may not have pushed hard enough for a meaningful change". Most notably, this test includes a ranked competitive Ladder system and a series of modes that support it. Each mode will have its own leaderboard, "where players compete to strategically gain experience within a limited timeframe".

RELATED LINKS: Diablo 2: Resurrected review, The best RPG games, The best Diablo 2 Resurrected classes

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 9:43 AM
     Fortnite Spider-Man web shooter locations

Are you looking for Spider-Man in Fortnite? The legendary wall-crawler has finally made his battle royale game debut in Fortnite Chapter 3. If you purchase the new battle pass, you can unlock the original Spider-Man Fortnite skin to dominate the battlefield in style. The web-slinging fun doesn't stop there, as Spider-Man's web-shooters are going to be made available for all players to use throughout the season.

The latest chapter of Fortnite flips the Chapter 2 island upside down, introducing a massive undiscovered world to explore. Punchcard quests are out this season, so instead, the devs have decided to opt for weekly season quests and themed challenges. There's also the new Fortnite victory crown mechanic, which rewards skilled players for wearing the coveted crown with bonus experience points.

Here's everything you need to know about Spider-Man in Fortnite, including how you can unlock his skin in the battle pass and how to use his web-shooters to swing far distances or bounce off webs to complete these challenges with ease.

RELATED LINKS: Fortnite V-Bucks, Fortnite Skins, Fortnite Creative Codes

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 12:20 PM
     The best Lost Ark Paladin builds for PvP and PvE

As one of Warrior's advanced classes, Paladins have a signature style of mixing heavy armour, melee attacks, and holy magic. Paladin is a very straightforward melee class that places you face to face with your opponents.

With the capacity to take some damage, as well as defeat big groups of enemies, Paladin is also a good class for leveling up quickly in Lost Ark and perfect for solo players who are eager to find a class that negates a lot of damage with shields while engaging opponents. This class uses sword combos, area skills that deal large amounts of damage to foes, and can protect your allies as well.

Paladin skill cooldowns are fairly short, so it's easy to find yourself performing a rotation of attacks, flitting between skills with a powerful sequence of basic attacks. Skills like Flash Thrust and Flash Slash are great attacks that cost no mana, have good upgrades that speed up the process of defeating enemies, and are useful in dealing with big groups. Now, among the initial holy skills you have access to, you should focus on Light of Judgment and Wrath of God, both skills deal huge amounts of AoE damage.

RELATED LINKS: Best MMOS and MMORPGs on PC, Upcoming PC games, Best fantasy games on PC

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 7:57 AM
     Lost Ark devs aim to make endgame less

Amazon Games and Smilegate RPG are toning down some of Lost Ark's endgame content. In a forum post, the pair revealed that six Guardian Raids and four Abyss Dungeons are changing as certain players feel they are more "tedious than fun".

"Difficulty is a hot topic when it comes to Lost Ark's endgame content, and we've seen a lot of feedback around specific raids and dungeons that have left players feeling like they are more tedious than fun," community manager Roxx says. "In response to this feedback, we'll be adjusting the difficulty of the following T1 and T2 content to make things a bit easier."

The raids up for nerfs are Vertus, Nacrasena, Flame Fox Yoho, Tytalos, Achates, and Alberhastic. As for dungeons, you can expect to see Necromancer's Origin, Hall of the twisted Warlord, Hilderbrandt Palace, and Sea of Indolence reined in. The balance tweaks will happen during Lost Ark's weekly update, which typically falls on a Thursday. The devs will provide more in-depth patch notes on the day.

RELATED LINKS: Best MMOS and MMORPGs on PC, Upcoming PC games, Best fantasy games on PC

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 7:20 AM
     XCOM 2's multiplayer will be shut down this month

It's now six years after XCOM 2 released on Steam, and one of the best strategy games on PC is about to lose two big features. In a new update, developer Firaxis Games reveals it will shut XCOM 2's multiplayer and other online modes by the end of this month.

XCOM 2 is one of the best turn-based strategy games ever made, but it seems like the online side of the game may not be that popular. XCOM 2's multiplayer consisted of players taking control of humans and aliens to mix-and-match a squad, similar to the first game. An online leaderboard-based Challenge Mode was also added with the War of the Chosen expansion.

Unfortunately for fans of these modes, Firaxis has announced that it "will be retiring services for multiplayer and Challenge Mode for the Steam version" of XCOM 2 on March 28, 2022 - although this only applies to PC users as the Mac version won't be touched, apparently. On this date, XCOM 2 will receive an update that will remove both modes.

RELATED LINKS: XCOM 2 Tips, XCOM 2 DLC guide, Play XCOM 2

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 9:49 AM
     The best open-world games on PC in 2022

Looking for some great open-world games? From the early days of gaming, with Ultima and Lords of Midnight, open-world games have always been right at home on PC - indeed, those pesky consoles often couldn't handle it. Compare the ambitious early version of Halo to the final, more confined result, for example - and only the PC could hold sprawling regions in the very first Elder Scrolls games. Nevertheless, the leap into full 3D with Grand Theft Auto 3 and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind really brought the idea of open-world gaming to the masses.

These days, open world can be considered its own genre. You can find accurate depictions of real-life cities or countries, huge fictional expanses with their own landmarks, complete worlds to check out - or even entire galaxies, depending on where you want to go on your next open-world gaming adventure.

The cool thing about the best open-world games is that they can come in various forms: the important feature is that they allow you to explore freely. As such, our list of top open-world games features everything from the best FPS games to car games.

RELATED LINKS: GTA 5 mods, GTA 6, Buy GTA V

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 9:14 AM
     Lost Ark Mokoko Seeds locations and rewards

Looking for Lost Ark Mokoko Seeds? There are various ways to level up quickly in Lost Ark, but if you want to focus on leveling up your Roster level instead of Combat level, then these curious collectibles are the best way to do so.

There are an abundance of Mokoko Seeds in Lost Ark found scattered in every corner of the vast map. In fact, there are reportedly over 1,200 seeds which can be cashed in for rewards in Mokoko Village. They have a pear-like appearance and a warm, green glow, but despite their appearance, finding these seeds is quite tricky, especially as there are so many of them. We suggest using the detailed Papunika map when you're in each region to see where the Mokoko Seeds are hiding.

Mokoko Seeds can be used as a currency and exchanged for items such as potions, cards, and blueprints of varying rarity with some epic and legendary items available. Here's a full list of all the rewards you can get from collecting Mokoko Seeds in Lost Ark.

RELATED LINKS: Best MMOS and MMORPGs on PC, Upcoming PC games, Best fantasy games on PC

PCGamesN Tuesday, March 1, 2022 10:58 AM
     GTA Trilogy update takes aim at clipping, first-person, and haircuts

Since it was released last year, the Grand Theft Auto Definitive Edition trilogy has had a rough time, as some players immediately noticed that it shipped with a lot of issues - like some blinding rain. Hopefully the new GTA Trilogy 1.04 update will get this collection of some of the best open-world games ever made back on track.

The GTA Trilogy remasters came out in November last year and were immediately called out by groups of players due to a large number of issues with all three games, including some "unintentionally included" files that got it pulled from sale on PC.

Take-Two's CEO promised that fixes were coming, and sure enough, today Rockstar Games released patch 1.04 for the Grand Theft Auto trilogy with a lot of improvements listed. The full patch notes can be found here. According to Rockstar Intel, on PC these updates require 18.5GB for GTA San Andreas, 8.9GB for GTA Vice City, and 4.18GB for GTA III, so they're all pretty sizeable.


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, March 1, 2022 11:48 AM
     I have to confess that I am waiting for the minutes to tick down to the end of my shift, because Far: Changing Tides is out today and I want nothing more than to take a rickety old sailboat out for an atmospheric glide across the seas. I can already smell the grease and the salt in the air. They're calling to me.

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, March 1, 2022 11:31 AM
    

Valve haven't changed their collective minds on DIY Steam Deck upgrades and repairs; although the portable PC is finally on its way to the earliest reservers, it's still the company's stance that you shouldn't open it up and make hardware changes yourself. That's according to Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais, who spoke to us at length on the making of the Deck and its future prospects.

Valve have previously made the peculiar move of showing exactly how to open a Steam Deck and remove individual parts, complete with video, while simultaneously declaring it something owners should refrain from. On pain of borking components, personal injury, and even death, apparently.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, March 1, 2022 10:57 AM
     Publishers Secret Mode have announced that they won't be releasing action adventure game Little Orpheus for PC today, as previously planned. The game features a Soviet cosmonaut, which Secret Mode wrote "may be upsetting to players at this time."

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, March 1, 2022 10:27 AM
    

FixFox is a delighful name to say. I keep calling it Fikfok, once by mistake and then the rest of the time on purpose. You are Vix (vikfikfok), an fox wot fixes things in a distant future, where humans started to gene-splice themselves with animals for the convenience of having, for example, lovely warm fur. This is a step I would 100% take; even as I write this in the office I am wrapped in a blanket I brought in from home, and my fingers are still cold. I would be less able to repair things using bits of tape and coins I found in holes in the ground, but then I am not a mechanic.

Vix is a mechanic, although they are laughed at by their compatriots for being quite a bad one. They have a sentient tool box called Tin, but misadventure means all Vix's conventional tools are lost. In the course of a pretty meaty preview build I got to explore a strange, cuboid planet, top-down stylee, and repair things for a buncha robots. But there are loads of other aspects to FixFox - a preoccupation with food, a kind of space-sokoban game, a story that hints at mystery and evolution and time. Part puzzle game, part sci-fi adventure, part fok.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, March 1, 2022 10:00 AM
     Sickroom simulator Two Point Hospital is getting a new mode in its upcoming DLC. Carry injured patients to see the appropriate healthcare professional, but forget the old fashioned ambulance. Instead, you'll be able to dispatch a fleet of modern alternatives, from the clown car to the Airloovator. But be quick, because other local hospitals have their own transport, and they're also trying to scoop up the hot commodities - er, I mean, sick people.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, March 1, 2022 9:53 AM
    

Elden Ring is clearly going down well, but it also has bigger problems than unexplained rolling goats. Even with a day-one patch, problems with frame rate drops, crashes, and visual glitches have been widely reported by players; I myself encountered some suttering while putting together our performance and settings guide. However, if you're lucky enough to get a Steam Deck in the first round of order fulfilments, you could see improvements that have yet to materialise on Windows.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, March 1, 2022 9:00 AM
    

Hello folks. I'm sorry this month's Letter From The Editor is a bit late. February sure has been one of those months, what with two of the biggest games of the year so far, not to mention a whole new piece of hardware launching in the space of two measly weeks. If I'd had my act together, I could have used this letter to give you a glimpse of all the exciting things we've just done - things like our freshly-concluded Souls Week, or all the neat Steam Next Fest bits we had planned, and (maybe) even a sneaky peek at all the excellent Steam Deck stuff we've written about as well. Alas, my time management skills have been a bit of a dumpster fire this month - although if you haven't checked out everything I've just mentioned, please do go and have a read. The RPS team have been very busy bees this month, and it would be a shame to miss out on all the great stuff going on.

Of course, the question now becomes, how do we carry on this kind of momentum when literally nothing has a confirmed release date past the end of March? The answer is... complicated.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, March 1, 2022 9:00 AM
    

Co-op roguelite Conan Chop Chop brings its barbarian action to Steam today. Die a lot, alone or with friends or strangers, on the couch or online. (Probably don't invite strangers to your house to play though). Then get stronger, improve your equipment, and hopefully die less until you can triumph over an evil wizard and prove once and for all that brawn is better than brains.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, March 1, 2022 8:00 AM
    

I have seen chat about Elden Ring being the most accessible (as in, welcoming to newcomers and easy to pick up) game yet of the collected FromSoft oeuvre. I haven't played nearly as much Elden Ring as Ed or our guides team, but I do feel this statement, while not an exact a lie, definitely needs a lot more qualification than people are giving it.

In relative terms, one would say that a bowl of hot sick was more enjoyable than eating a bowl of cold sick, for example. Elden Ring is, of course, much better than sick at any temperature, obviously - I'm just saying that so far, I have not found it to be much easier or less opaque than any other FromSoft game, except it has clearer tooltips and sometimes an NPC will say, "You should do this thing." In fact, the open world - the thing that people say is the most good bit - is having the opposite effect on me.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, March 1, 2022 7:12 AM
    

Within the Steam Deck press pack lies an unexpected treasure: a collage of abandoned prototype models. Dozens of them, from clear progenitors of the final handheld to some truly mad, unreasonably pointy and sometimes blindingly colourful designs. And one that's literally held together with tape.

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Twinfinite Tuesday, March 1, 2022 12:21 PM
    

Sega revealed the upcoming updates and content planned for March and the beginning of April in its MMO Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis.

The post Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis Details April Update, Spring Event, & More appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Tuesday, March 1, 2022 11:21 AM
    

In entertainment, there are just some songs that fit into every situation perfectly, like My Hero Academia's You Say Run, which literally goes with everything. Thanks to this, people tend to get pretty creative when mixing things around, especially when it comes to video games. Just check out what one DOOM fan has done to […]

The post DOOM's Music Fits Perfectly Into Destroying Skyrim's Dark Brotherhood appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Tuesday, March 1, 2022 10:59 AM
    

Earlier this week, there was a rumor going around that Gabe Newell was personally hand-delivering Steam Decks to customers who ordered an early copy. This rumor was confirmed with, which showed off the Valve co-founder and president making the deliveries to a bunch of confused customers. As you can see in the video below, there […]

The post Gabe Newell Personally Delivered Steam Decks to Customers appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Tuesday, March 1, 2022 10:49 AM
    

Today Square Enix released two new commercials for the upcoming action game Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.

The post Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin Shows Lots of Monster Killing In New Commercials appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Tuesday, March 1, 2022 10:11 AM
    

Today Microsoft released a new trailer of its popular game-as-a-service Sea of Thieves, focusing on the upcoming season 6.

The post Sea of Thieves Gets New Trailer Introducing the Content of Season 6 appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Tuesday, March 1, 2022 9:51 AM
    

Microsoft has announced the March Xbox Game Pass games lineup, and Square Enix and Eidos Montreal's Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is the headline title. The announcement was shared via a news post on Xbox Wire, detailing the full selection of games set to hit Xbox Game Pass for Console, PC and the Cloud. Marvel's […]

The post Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Headlines March's Xbox Game Pass Lineup appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Tuesday, March 1, 2022 9:49 AM
    

Crunchyroll was acquired by Sony's Funimation for over $1 billion late last year, and now we're finally seeing what that means for anime fans who use those viewing platforms. Crunchyroll is getting a number of shows from Funimation as the two major anime brands come together to create one place for all your anime needs. […]

The post Funimation Content Is Coming to Crunchyroll Today as the Brands Unify appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Tuesday, March 1, 2022 9:32 AM
    

After a relatively quiet period of updates since the launch of Episode 4, Valorant's latest update, Patch 4.04, is a doozy. Today's patch notes reveal a buff for Brimstone and Omen, while Astra and Viper have been nerfed, which should bring more balance to the game's pool of controller Agents. Elsewhere, the much-anticipated Yoru rework […]

The post Valorant Patch 4.04 Notes Reveal Major Controller Buffs/Nerfs, Yoru Rework, & Icebox Changes appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Tuesday, March 1, 2022 9:30 AM
    

Elden Ring is arguably the most highly anticipated video game releases of the year, and it's finally available on PC and consoles. It features a massive open-world and an overarching mythos penned by George R.R. Martin, best known for writing the A Song of Ice and Fire book series. While it can take quite a […]

The post 5 Things to Do After Beating Elden Ring (End Game/ Post Game) appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Tuesday, March 1, 2022 9:28 AM
    

Today Sony Interactive Entertainment and Polyphony Digital released a new trailer of the upcoming racing game Gran Turismo 7.

The post Gran Turismo 7 Trailer Has "Automotive Experts" Talk About the Game appeared first on Twinfinite.


Twinfinite Tuesday, March 1, 2022 8:21 AM
    

FromSoftware's latest RPG, Elden Ring, has received a hot critical reception since its launch last week, with special praise lauded on its compelling open-world sandbox called The Lands Between, and the lore that binds it together. While the developer has a storied history of creating such locations for its iconic Souls franchise, this time around […]

The post Elden Ring Critical Acclaim Celebrated by George R.R Martin in His Latest Blog Post appeared first on Twinfinite.


Siliconera Tuesday, March 1, 2022 1:30 PM
    

Seven Pirates H English Footage Shared

The next Genkai Tokki game is about to appear outside Japan. To prepare people, Eastasiasoft showed how the English version of Seven Pirates H. It was the first game to show up at the Spring 2022 Eastasiasoft Showcase. While brief, it offered an idea of what people can expect.

Seven Pirates H's English version kicked everything off. So right away in the video below, it appears. It begins with bullet points about what to expect. First, it showed off the turn-based battle system. After that, it shows what it is like to move around different areas and explore. There's also a brief bit of exposition, in which Saqra talks about the villainous Four Heavenly Kings players will have to face. The portion after that shows how characters' chests develop by playing minigames. (As such, this early portion of the video might be not safe to view at work or school.)

Genkai Tokki: Seven Pirates H will appear worldwide in English in Spring 2022. Play-Asia will carry standard and limited edition copies. The limited edition versions come with a soundtrack, art book, and stickers. Its website is now open, and it is age-gated. The game is immediately available in Japan.

The post Seven Pirates H English Footage Shared appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, March 1, 2022 1:00 PM
    

Matt Walker Leaves Capcom to Join Camouflaj

Matt Walker is no longer with Capcom, as Camouflaj announced he joined the developer's new Japanese studio. He is now one of the two people running Camouflaj Holdings. He and the company's founder Ryan Payton are in charge at the new branch. The announcement didn't include any details about potential projects in development at the studio.

In his time at Capcom, Matt Walker worked on a number of longstanding series. For example, he worked as a producer on both the Devil May Cry 3 Switch port and Devil May Cry 5. He also produced Resident Evil 3's Resident Evil: Resistance multiplayer element. He also acted as a production manager on games like Resident Evil Revelations 2.

Alongside the announcement is the news of another Republique update. The Anniversary Edition of the game will come to the PS4 and PSVR. There's a new trailer showing how it will look on the systems.

So far, Camouflaj is known for two games. One is Republique. It started out on mobile devices, before getting new versions and ports that also brought it to the PS4, PC, Google Stadia, and Oculus devices. The Republique Anniversary Edition releases will come to the PS4 and PSVR on March 10, 2022. Its other title is Marvel's Iron Man VR For the PSVR.

The post Matt Walker Leaves Capcom to Join Camouflaj appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, March 1, 2022 12:00 PM
    

Bleach Arena of Valor Event Returns Today

Bleach is coming back to the Arena of Valor MOBA. Timi Studio announced the characters from the series will appear again as skins. The event is immediately available, with five total customization options available.

The skins basically fall into two categories. One involves making existing characters look exactly like ones from Bleach. The other puts them in outfits inspired by the series. As part of this collaboration, Lu Bu can look like Ichigo Kurosaki, Murad can become like Byakuya Kuchiki, and Bright can turn into Toshiro Hitsugaya. The other two outfits are for Annette and Lindis. Annette gets a school uniform that looks like Orihime Inoue's. It is called Karakura First High School. Lindis gets a basic Shinigami/Soul Reaper that resembles Rukia Kuchiki's. It is called Shihakusho.

Here's a video looking at the skins.

There's also a new video looking only at the Lu Bu Bleach skin. It shows off its general appearance and how it changes the appearance of attacks.

The first Bleach Arena of Valor event appeared back in April 2021. All five of these skins first debuted back then. Should someone get one of them, they will have them permanently.

Arena of Valor is available on the Nintendo Switch and mobile devices, and its Bleach event will run until March 29, 2022.

The post Bleach Arena of Valor Event Returns Today appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, March 1, 2022 11:30 AM
    

See How Cloud Looks When Racing in Chocobo GP

Ahead of launch, Square Enix confirmed Cloud would be racing in Chocobo GP. People can earn him through the Season 1 Pass. Now there are more details about his special ability, as the company shared a brief trailer showing him in-game.

Cloud rides Fenrir, one of his FFVII motorcycles, in the game. He'll also wield his Buster Sword. This will actually be used during Spinning Slash. As people race, they can trigger this special ability. This allows them an opportunity to speed up and potentially attack.

Here's the new video. It begins by showing him racing as normal. Then, he uses Spinning Slash to attack some people around him. The video closes with him winning the race. His victory pose has him stand on the bike seat while twirling the Buster Sword.

As a reminder, this isn't the first time Cloud appeared in a Chocobo Racing game. He appeared in the 1999 PlayStation game as a secret character. In that entry, he appeared riding his Hardy-Daytona motorcycle. To earn him, people would need to beat the campaign five times, then hold a button when selecting FFVIII's Squall.

Chocobo GP will appear on the Nintendo Switch worldwide on March 10, 2022. There is also a free Chocobo GP' game for Android and Apple iOS devices.

The post See How Cloud Looks When Racing in Chocobo GP appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, March 1, 2022 11:00 AM
    

Lightning Returns- FFXIII Joining Xbox Game Pass, NieR Automata Leaving

There is a Square Enix shuffle going on with Xbox Game Pass. The March 2022 update arrived to detail things joining and leaving the service by March 15, 2022. Another Final Fantasy game is coming, but a staple is leaving. On March 3, 2022, Lightning Returns: FFXIII will show up on the service. On March 15, 2022, NieR Automata will leave Xbox Game Pass.

For those unfamiliar, Lightning Returns: FFXIII closes out the trilogy of games. It proceeds a bit differently than most Final Fantasy games. In it, Lightning has seven days before the world will end. She is tasked with completing various goals before that happens. (It is possible to earn a little more time.)

As for NieR Automata, it's been part of Xbox Game Pass for years. The Xbox One version showed up back in April 2020. In March 2021, the PC version debuted on the service.

Here's the full list of the games that will be joining Xbox Game Pass alongside Lightning Returns: FFXIII in March 2022.

  • March 1st: Far: Changing Tides (Cloud, Console, and PC) and Microsoft Flight Simulator (Cloud)
  • March 3rd: Lightning Returns: FFXIII (Console and PC)
  • March 10th: Kentucky Route Zero (Cloud, Console, and PC), Lawn Mowing Simulator (Console), Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (Cloud, Console, and PC), and Young Souls (Cloud, Console, and PC)

And these are the games that will leave Xbox Game Pass alongside NieR Automata on March 15, 2022.

  • NieR Automata (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Phogs! (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • The Surge 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Torchlight III (Cloud, Console, and PC)

The post Lightning Returns: FFXIII Joining and NieR Automata Leaving Xbox Game Pass appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, March 1, 2022 10:30 AM
    

Crunchyroll and Funimation Merge, Only Crunchyroll Subscriptions Remaining

Back in August 2021, Sony's acquisition of the Crunchyroll anime streaming service went through. Now it means that Funimation and Crunchyroll are merging, with Crunchyroll and its subscription service being the surviving entity. This means past Funimation and Wakanim subscription holders will need to migrate to the other service.

The announcement offered details about how the merger will work. Things are taking effect immediately. Crunchyroll will get 80% of the Funimation/Wakanim shows by the end of March 2022. It will still offer the same three subscription plans. That means people can pay $7.99, $9.99, or $14.99 per. month for various service tiers. Rather than being Funimation Global Group, LLC, it will now be Crunchyroll, LLC.

If someone is a Funimation or Wakanim subscriber, they will need to cancel their current subscription, make a Crunchyroll account, and purchase a new subscription. Funimation and Wakanim will only continue to add and air existing series on their services and get new episodes from previously announced series. Funimation members' digital copies of items, gift cards, saved show queues, and watch histories aren't available on Crunchyroll. The announcement did confirm that digital copies, gift cards, queues, and watch histories support is in the works on Crunchyroll.

Crunchyroll's most basic $7.99 per month plan removes ads from shows, offers access to everything in the anime library with an option to stream on one device at a time, lets people read English digital manga, and allows people to watch new episodes of ongoing shows an hour after they air in Japan.

The post Crunchyroll and Funimation Merge, Only Crunchyroll Subscriptions Remaining appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, March 1, 2022 10:00 AM
    

Chrono Trigger Composer Created 'Around 10' Sea of Stars Songs

Sea of Stars is an upcoming RPG prequel to The Messenger. It is the sort of project in which its inspirations are worn on its figurative sleeve. In this case, its tributes to Chrono Trigger appear via the means of its battle system, world map, and even music from Chrono Trigger and Cross composer Yasunori Mitsuda. During a preview event, Siliconera learned more about the "around 10" songs from Mitsuda and game's influences from Sabotage Studio President and Creative Director Thierry Boulanger.

During the preview event, Mitsuda's music ended up referenced early on. While showing off a quest that would send Valere, Zale, and Garl to an abandoned wizard's lab on behalf of the pirate Klee Shae, Boulanger teased the first track. While wandering around the world map, headed to the location, the party passed Coral Cascades. Boulanger noted that is where players will hear the first track the Chrono Trigger composer made for the game.

Interview: Chrono Trigger Composer Created 'Around 10' Sea of Stars Songs

Later, Boulanger elaborated when asked about the extent of Mitsuda's contributions to the project. He said, "Some of [the tracks] have both day and night versions, which are counted as two separate tracks. Considering this, we are expecting around ten tracks from Mitsuda."

During the 2020 Sea of Stars Kickstarter campaign, Sabotage Studio announced the Chrono Trigger composer would work on some songs for the soundtrack. At the time, it didn't explain the potential extent of his work on the project. However, the developer did note that he and Eric W. Brown would both work on the game's soundtrack. Brown also worked on The Messenger

Interview- Chrono Trigger Composer Created 'Around 10' Sea of Stars Songs 2

As for other references, it calls to mind Chrono Trigger in other ways. One is its battle system. It features up to three characters in the fight at once like Chrono Trigger. It also involves turn-based combat that immediately takes place in the field, without being taken to a separate area. Characters have certain elements associated with them, such as Valere and her affinity with Lunar magic. The world map involves a zoomed out space, with multiple locations shown. When asked about its other influences on Sea of Stars, Boulanger noted, "In terms of narrative, there will be none, but its lessons when it comes to simplicity and taking a distilled approach to what is presented is present in a lot of ways when it comes to design, including in our previous game."

Finally, Siliconera asked if there would be any opportunities to develop relationships between characters or work on any reputation, Boulanger explained players wouldn't see that. However, he did suggest there will be be side quests for some people. He said, "While all characters have a rich backstory and some of them may hint at optional side quests for their personal closure towards the end of the game, there is nothing in the game akin to romance, gifting, reputation or relationship building."

Sea of Stars will come to the Nintendo Switch and PC during the 2022 holiday season. Its Kickstarter campaign raised CA$1,628,126 from 25,589 people in 2020.

The post Interview: Chrono Trigger Composer Created 'Around 10' Sea of Stars Songs appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, March 1, 2022 9:30 AM
    

love live virtual idol

A new Love Live Virtual School Idol multimedia project will launch in Fall 2022. There is a short teaser trailer on its official YouTube channel. However, aside from the basic premise, there is no information on how exactly things will look and go. Due to the name of "Virtual School Idol," it is possible that it will feature the girls working as VTubers rather than as traditional idols.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps_HO7n0zfw

According to the official website for the Love Live! Virtual School Idol project, it will take place over the course of a year (365 days). During this time, content such as video streams, magazines, CDs, live events, and mobile applications will appear. Rather than focusing on past Love Live! idols, it seems that it will feature new characters and cast members.

The Love Live franchise is series involving multiple forms of media. Aside from television series and games, there are also manga series and CDs. There are also collaborations between its characters and other properties. For example, in 2021 the Japanese Love Live School Idol Festival mobile game offeref a collaboration event featuring characters from the Persona series.

Love Live Virtual School Idol will start in Fall 2022. More information will appear in the future.

The post Love Live Virtual School Idol Project Will Start in Fall 2022 appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, March 1, 2022 9:00 AM
    

Nintendo Switch Online Missions & Rewards feature custom player icon elements icons NSO

Nintendo added a new Missions & Rewards feature to Nintendo Switch Online. Completing missions will reward players with My Nintendo Platinum Points, which can be redeemed for a variety of different items. Most notably, there are new Nintendo Switch player icons, allowing for icon element customization.

Nintendo Switch Online missions are tasks designed to reward players for doing things they may already be doing. For example, on a weekly basis players can "back up save data" in the cloud to earn 20 Platinum Points. Another mission requires players to play a "featured title" in the NES app, which is Super Mario Bros. at the moment. Doing so rewards them with 50 Platinum Points.

Players can redeem points for items like digital wallpapers, digital or physical items at the My Nintendo Store, and the new aforementioned Nintendo Switch player icon elements. These elements include individual icon frames, characters, and backgrounds. Players can assemble these elements to create their own unique Nintendo Switch player icons. You can see some examples below.

Nintendo Switch Online Missions & Rewards feature custom player icon elements icons

Nintendo will offer a different theme for icon elements through Nintendo Switch Online each month. That means some icons will come and go. Through April 3, 2022, the themes are "Animal Crossing: New Horizons (March birthdays) and Super Mario Odyssey."

An active Nintendo Switch Online subscription is required to complete these new missions and redeem their rewards. Nintendo Switch Online is available through all versions of Nintendo Switch hardware. An upgraded tier of the service, Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, recently added The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask to its games lineup.

The post Nintendo Switch Online Missions & Rewards Arrive as New Feature appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, March 1, 2022 8:40 AM
    

Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 first anniversary stream

The Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time movie first anniversary is coming up on March 8, 2022. Khara will mark the occasion by holding a live stream on the day at 19:00 JST (5 AM ET).

The movie's director Hideaki Anno will attend the stream with several other key staff members. They will re-watch the movie while answering questions from fans. Khara has opened a Google Docs form on the stream's news page, where fans can send questions to the staff in Japanese. It will close the submissions in seven hours before the stream begins.

Khara will share the exact URL for the Evangelion 3.0+1.0 anniversary stream on Twitch at a later time. It is currently unknown whether the stream will be available worldwide or region-locked.

Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time appeared first in Japanese theaters from March 8, 2021, to late July 2021. It managed to gross 10 billion yen during its run at the Japanese box office. In January 2022, the Japan Academy Film Prize Association listed this movie as one of the nominees for the Best Animation of the Year.

The latest Evangelion movie is immediately available to watch worldwide via Amazon Prime Video. It appears on the platform as Evangelion 3.0+1.01: Thrice Upon a Time, which has several additional scenes not included in the original launch.

The post Evangelion 3.0+1.0 1st Anniversary Stream Will Air on Twitch appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, March 1, 2022 7:30 AM
    

Elden Ring RPG Elements Scale and Lore - three tenets of FromSoftware development and creation from interview

In a pre-release production staff interview, FromSoftware revealed that the development team focused on three core tenets when creating Elden Ring. These included scale, RPG elements, and lore that ultimately created the core experience of Elden Ring. The development team revealed that scale was important for creating a sense of variety in the game. This includes the creation of various castles, caves, and dungeons that players can actively explore in Elden Ring. The developers worked to ensure that these areas would be connected seamlessly throughout the open world.

However, while scale was an important factor when creating Elden Ring, FromSoftware wanted the RPG elements of the game to allow for true variety in playstyle. The intention was to enable players to pursue their own method of exploration.

You can watch the Elden Ring pre-release production staff interview below. It features English and Japanese subtitles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP_SmxASo5Q

The video also delves into the creative process of Elden Ring's lore. It reiterates that Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin provided the foundation for Elden Ring. Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki was already a fan of Martin's work. While Martin provided lore regarding events having taken place before the narrative of the game, the team was able to create the scenario. This also helped FromSoftware develop the general gameplay that would appear in Elden Ring.

A recent interview with Famitsu revealed several more key development details regarding Elden Ring. This included its parallel development with Sekiro.

Elden Ring is available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. You can read our review of the PC version, with PlayStation 5 impressions.

The post FromSoftware Focused on Scale and RPG Elements for Elden Ring appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, March 1, 2022 7:00 AM
    

EarthBound Winters map as framed art

Shigesato Itoi and Hobonichi will produce and sell framed art based on EarthBound pixel maps in Japan. The company will open pre-orders for a limited time in March 2022.

The framed art of EarthBound maps will be available in five different models. Each of them will depict a distinct featured location in EarthBound, including Onett, Winters, Fourside, Moonside, and the Cave of the Past.

People residing in Japan will be able to order the framed art in two different sizes: Small at ¥16,500 (~$144) and Large at ¥37,400 (~$325). They can also choose one of the three available frames, including black, red, and natural wood grain.

[gallery columns="5" link="file" ids="918351,918352,918353,918354,918355"]

EarthBound originally came out for the SNES in 1995 in North America and 1994 in Japan, where it is known as Mother 2. In February 2022, Nintendo made the game — along with its predecessor, EarthBound Beginnings — available on Nintendo Switch. Users who have subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online can access the classic games immediately.

Hobonichi has been releasing assorted merchandise related to the EarthBound franchise in Japan. In October 2021, it released the Pollyanna 2 manga compilation that includes a comic made by Undertale creator Toby Fox. The company also released various items ranging from jackets to plushes in 2020.

Pre-orders for the framed art of EarthBound maps will be available in Japan from March 8 to March 31, 2022. Hobonichi will deliver the finished products around late May 2022.

The post EarthBound Maps Will Appear as Framed Art in Japan appeared first on Siliconera.


Destructoid Tuesday, March 1, 2022 1:30 PM
    

My Nintendo weekly missions can grant you 220 platinum per week now Out of nowhere, Nintendo introduced My Nintendo weekly...

The post My Nintendo just added new weekly missions for platinum points appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, March 1, 2022 1:00 PM
    

The expansion adds a new PvE activity, Cleaners, Ridden, and more Back 4 Blood is back for more in April. Turtle...

The post Back 4 Blood Tunnels of Terror DLC expansion arrives in April appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, March 1, 2022 12:30 PM
    

In addition to the 2022 roadmap The Fallout 76 team has been busy. Not only are they still actively producing content...

The post Here's the Fallout 76 spring community calendar appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, March 1, 2022 12:00 PM
    

40 years of pill-poppin' Bandai Namco has announced that its prestige retro compendium, Pac-Man Museum+, will be opening its doors...

The post Pac-Man Museum+ waka-wakas into your world May 27 appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, March 1, 2022 11:30 AM
    

Bank error in our favor: skip multiple days of challenges If you want to finish the Pokemon Unite free Hoopa...

The post PSA: The Pokemon Unite free Hoopa challenge is way easier to finish now appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, March 1, 2022 10:00 AM
    

March 27 at 14:59 UTC If you want a free Shaymin in Pokemon BDSP, make sure you log in before...

The post PSA: You have until March 27 to get the item for a free Shaymin in Pokemon BDSP appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, March 1, 2022 9:50 AM
    

Grab your Awesome Mix Tape A wicked bit of news for Game Pass subscribers this morning, as Xbox has revealed...

The post Guardians of the Galaxy headed to Xbox Game Pass next week appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, March 1, 2022 9:00 AM
    

End of an era for one of the greats Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan has announced that it is discontinuing after-sales...

The post Sony Japan is ending after-sales support for PlayStation 3 appeared first on Destructoid.


PC Invasion - FeedDDD Tuesday, March 1, 2022 1:00 PM
     Forza Horizon 5 Pc In The DustForza Horizon 5 is already up to its fifth major update with the recent arrival of Series Update 5. Playground Games outfitted this latest update for the hit racer with a slew of new content, fixes and enhancements, including shiny new cars to collect, more accessibility updates for hearing-impaired players, improvements to the EventLab, and more. Playground Games has made some notable efforts when it comes to ensuring that as many players as possible can enjoy Forza Horizon 5. With the Series 5 update, cutscenes will now include on-screen narration with ASL and BSL videos to ensure that hearing-impaired players get the full scope of what's going on. Considering that Forza Horizon 5 has a much larger number of cinematics and spoken dialogue compared to past entries, this is a very commendable move by the studio.   More to love But, when it comes to content for everyone to benefit from, there's a lot on offer. Stunt lovers can make their way to the Horizon Stadium in...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Tuesday, March 1, 2022 12:30 PM
     Fortnite Icon Series Naomi OsakaFortnite is known for its various crossovers. After all, the debut of Chapter 3: Season 1 saw a Spider-Man crossover on day one. Now, the Icon Series is about to get a new member. Already, the Icon Series includes a diverse group, from singer Ariana Grande to professional Fortnite player, Bugha. As a tennis champion, activist, fashion designer and entrepreneur, Naomi Osaka is getting ready to drop into Fortnite's Icon Series in a matter of days. Naomi Osaka's cosmetics land in the item store on March 3. So, what exactly can you purchase? Epic Games describe the skin as bringing the spirit of individuality to Fortnite. The Naomi Osaka outfit comes with a matching Royale Racket pickaxe that will leave a pink trail behind when you swing it. You can wear the pickaxe as back bling as you land into the action with The Queen's Cloudcarriage Glider. Also, the Naomi Osaka outfit has an alternative style with the Court Queen alt style. Then there's the Dark Priestess N...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Tuesday, March 1, 2022 12:15 PM
     Elden Ring Mimic Tear Ashes Best Spirit Ash Summon Nokron Eternal City Night's Sacred GroundElden Ring has many Spirit Ash summons that you can obtain. They can be used in various dungeon areas, as well as during boss fights. However, there's one that's quite amazing that it's head and shoulders above the rest. Here's our Elden Ring guide to help you obtain the Mimic Tear Ashes, arguably the best Spirit Ash summon in the game. Note: For more information, check out our Elden Ring guides and features hub.   Elden Ring Mimic Tear Ashes guide – Where to get the best Spirit Ash summon Many Spirit Ash summons in Elden Ring can be viable in all situations. For instance, the Lone Wolf Ashes that Renna provides early in the game can offer a decent distraction. Meanwhile, Marionette Soldier Ashes can "break" a boss' AI because of how quickly they'll spam projectiles, causing bosses to dodge uncontrollably. Likewise, the Rotten Stray Ashes from Sellia Town of Sorcery can debilitate enemies with poison. Then, there's the...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Tuesday, March 1, 2022 12:00 PM
     X Plane 12 Wake Turbulence OverlayLaminar Research is hard at work on the next-gen release of its ever-popular X-Plane series — the 12th iteration, to be exact. Over the last few weeks, the studio has been drip-feeding nuggets of new info. The latest of these little news updates formally announces that all aircraft in the upcoming sim will receive a very realistic feature: wake turbulence. For the uninitiated, wake turbulence refers to the phenomenon that occurs when an aircraft rolls out and takes off from the runway. Because of the high speeds these metal machines reach at takeoff, they disturb the air around them, generating invisible "wakes" in a similar fashion to the disturbed waves that taper off from the rear hull of a boat in motion.   Rock and rollin' Since aircraft all have to take off in the same direction and then climb for a few moments, the disturbed air is felt by aircraft that immediately follow. Much like how the size of a boat will determine the size of the wakes it le...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Tuesday, March 1, 2022 11:30 AM
     Fortnite Amazing Web WeekEpic Games has kept Fortnite Chapter 3: Season 1 fresh with the regular roll out of new content. Most recently, Bownanza week came to an end, and the bows have been placed back in the vault. As we bid farewell to the bows, another week has begun. This time, we are celebrating Amazing Web week in Fortnite, which may completely change the pace of the game. During Amazing Web week, you can find Spider-Man's Web Shooters in chests for the first time. Also, they will still be in their usual spots if you want to ensure you secure yourself some. At the same time, bouncers have been unvaulted for this week. You will have to look out for a bouncer as floor loot, or you can find them by opening supply drops. As you take to the skies, there are a new set of challenges for you to complete for some extra XP.   More changes are here with Amazing Web week The v19.40 update also makes adjustments to the Impostors game mode. Proximity voice chat is now being used for this mode, which mean...

Gamer Empire Tuesday, March 1, 2022 8:57 AM
    

This post was stolen from https://gamerempire.net/ from the Lost Ark Guides category: https://gamerempire.net/category/lost-ark/. It was written by Tim Stadel Clausen. The original URL of this post is https://gamerempire.net/lost-ark-how-to-get-learn-the-polite-emote/. There are several quests in Lost Ark that require you to use a specific emote in front of an NPC, and you do not have all emotes by default. One of the […]

The post Lost Ark – How to Get & Learn the Polite Emote appeared first on Gamer Empire. It was written by Tim Stadel Clausen.


Tabletop Gaming News Tuesday, March 1, 2022 1:00 PM
    

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MonsterVine Tuesday, March 1, 2022 10:25 AM
    

Funcom and Mighty Kingdom have announced that Conan Chop Chop, their multiplayer roguelite party game, is now available on consoles and PC. Conan Chop Chop, available on the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, puts players in "magically generated" maps where they hack and chop their way through unique enemies using items and skills that can […]

The post Conan Chop Chop Conquers Consoles Today appeared first on MonsterVine.


Level Up Tuesday, March 1, 2022 12:40 PM
     A recent update to the Nintendo Switch has brought a new feature called Missions and Rewards.…

Level Up Tuesday, March 1, 2022 11:10 AM
     Young Souls was a rare Stadia timed-exclusive that launched last August and impressed us with its…

Level Up Tuesday, March 1, 2022 10:25 AM
     For any enthusiasts following Elden Ring's entire development process, it can still be pretty easy…

Level Up Tuesday, March 1, 2022 9:23 AM
     The GTA Trilogy sparked excitement when first announced last October. Slated to be a definitive…

Level Up Tuesday, March 1, 2022 8:25 AM
     Elden Ring is out and here to stay. And while all versions of the game…